14 Gifts High School Graduates Will Find Way More Meaningful Than a Card Full of Cash

Well, friends, the time of year has come. You know what I’m talking about — when you start receiving a million bajillion graduation party invitations from all of the special teens in your life. Maybe you’re even receiving more than usual this year because according to the National Center for Education, an estimated 3.6 million students are expected to graduate from high school at the end of the 2018/2019 school year and all 3.6 million of those students will need the perfect graduation gift.

Buying gifts, in general, can be a daunting task, but when it comes to buying a high school graduation gift, you can go one of two ways. You can either purchase something functional, something the future college student can use in the fall. Or, you can take a more personal approach and give him or her something that’ll remind them of home.

Ahead, we’ve gathered 14 gifts your grad will definitely love.

Subscription box

Image: Love Goodly.

For the eco-conscious grad who loves beauty products and also likes to give back, the Love Goodly subscription box is chock full of non-toxic, cruelty-free, full-sized beauty products (and snacks!) and ships every other month. All boxes support a worthy cause, too.

Another gift that keeps on giving: the Amazon Prime membership. What’s great is students get a discounted monthly membership rate of $6.49 vs. $12.99, so you’re paying less. Free shipping, two-day delivery on Prime items and a very easy way for you to ensure the grad always has toilet paper stocked? Call this one a win for both parties.

Custom map pillow

17-month academic planner

Image: ban.do.

The cover art on this planner, created by Bijou Karman, alone is worth the $20 purchase. Spanning August 2019 through December 2020, this planner not only gives users a year, month and week view of their schedule, but also stickers, a personality quick and a 3D page with glasses.

Smart backpack

Image: Amazon.

Most students spend hours on campus — lugging around books, notebooks, their laptop. On those days when they just can’t get back to their dorm or apartment and they desperately need a charge, they’ll thank you later when they realize they have a phone charger built into their backpack.

The laptop

Image: Best Buy.

Ah, the laptop: Grads really want one, and you dread buying it. But keep this tip in mind if you do go laptop shopping: Head directly to stores like Apple, Microsoft and Best Buy, and ask them what their student specials are. Most of them offer a student discount. Some manufacturers (such as Apple) also offer really good deals on refurbished models that are just as high-quality as the brand-new laptops (and even come with a warranty), but are less expensive.

Twin carafe

Image: Of a Kind.

For the grad who wants a more hands-on, stylish coffee maker, this pourer coffee makeover will win her or him over. This coffee maker, which can be used to make tea, too, has a colorful silicone filter that pops out for easy pouring and cleaning.

Dinnerware set

Image: Amazon.

For grads moving into an apartment where they’ll have an actual kitchen at their disposal, they’ll need a dinnerware set. This one from Amazon comes with 16 pieces, eight plates in two different sizes, four mugs and four bowls.

Roku

Image: Roku.

For those grads moving out, they’ll need their own streaming device, and Roku is an affordable option. For less than $30 and no monthly equipment fee, the Roku Express not only includes a high-speed HDMI cable, but also access to hundreds of free channels.

Boxed delivery

Image: Boxed.

Sometimes the simplest gifts can be the most useful. Boxed offers the pricing benefits of Costco, but without a yearly fee so you can stock your recent grad up with all of the staples they need but probably can’t afford right now.

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